Despite a 6-1 loss to Whitman Oct. 4, the girls tennis team finished off its regular season with back-to-back wins against Poolesville Oct. 10 and Springbrook Oct. 11. The wins advanced the Lady Bulldogs’ overall record to an impressive 9-1.
Led by freshman number one singles player Katie Gauch and senior captain Jill Teitelbaum, who plays at the number two singles position, the team swept Poolesville 7-0 and easily defeated Springbrook 6-1. As the dominant force in Montgomery County, the Lady Bulldogs also easily surpassed Walter Johnson Sept. 26 and Gaithersburg Sept. 30. However, the toughest part of the team’s season came when it had to face local powerhouses Bethesda Chevy-Chase (B-CC) and Wootton in back-to-back matches.
“Usually, B-CC and Wootton are two of our hardest matches, but we stuck it out and pulled through,” senior captain Tanya Bagheri said.
The Wootton match proved to be a big test for the team’s will. After sparring through an exhausting match, Wootton and CHS found themselves tired and tied at the culmination of the match. However, the tie-breaking match was postponed due to darkness and rain, heightening the tension even more. Despite the setback, the team came out victorious when the doubles group comprised of senior Cindy Zheng and junior Alissa Li fought long and hard to give CHS the win.
“It was a really amazing game to watch and ultimately, [Zheng and Li] pulled through a tough match and won,” senior Cindy Yiin said.
Despite the loss of four key singles players, including 2011 alumnae Noor Judeh and Lauren Pinskey, Zheng and Yiin as well as junior Lauren Perrine have stepped up to make up for the loss.
Bagheri and Teitelbaum are at the helm of a squad consisting mostly of young talent. In addition to standout Gauch, four other freshmen, including number three singles player Hayley Keats who has posted an outstanding 6-1 record, have been extremely beneficial to the squad.
Freshman Sriyya Movva has done great things with junior Olivia Lee as the number one doubles team. Strong leadership from the returners has also been imperative to the team’s success.
“The underclassmen have been good leaders not only on the court but off it as well,” Bagheri said. “We help the underclassmen with homework and give advice about classes and just how the team functions overall.”
Despite the loss to Whitman, only a minor glitch in an otherwise successful season, the team is optimistic about playoffs, and is hoping to win counties for the fourth consecutive year.
“We have such a strong team dynamic, and it’s amazing how passionate everyone is about the sport,” Bagheri said.
The team starts County Playoffs Oct. 24.
